Position

Firm Chairman and Senior Partner.

Career

Pinhas Rubin is the Chairman and the Head of the firm at Gornitzky & Co.

He is considered by the Israeli financial press to be a “key position” holder and was listed therein as one of the people who will “open any door for you”. Since 2002, The Marker Magazine has repeatedly identified him as one of the 100 most influential people in the Israeli economy, and leading international legal guides named him “a super lawyer” and “the best lawyer in Israel”. In 2019 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chambers Global guide.

Mr. Rubin sets himself apart from other legal practitioners, who specialize in one specific field, with his unique interdisciplinary approach: He is regarded as a reputable expert in the numerous fields in which he regularly practices, especially in the areas of corporate law, tax, mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, trusts and estates, litigation and dispute resolution, white collar crime, class actions and derivative suits. In addition, Mr. Rubin lectures on a variety of legal topics at Israel’s finest academic institutions.

Acting across a broad range of legal practices, Mr. Rubin is extensively involved in Israel’s most significant transactions and legal disputes.

Mr. Rubin has the utmost respect for his clients’ privacy and therefore clients remain anonymous in notable representations that include:

Assisting Israel’s largest commercial groups and banks in their tax issues and tax disputes;

Involvement in tax matters on behalf of leading international telecommunications companies, financial service providers, and banking institutions in Israel;

Representation and counsel to foreign trusts and their beneficiaries regarding trust laws and related tax matters;

Representation of affluent Israeli families in their legal matters, as well as legal and tax advice to high net worth individuals who qualify for a tax holiday upon their immigration to Israel;

Mergers, acquisitions and re-organizations of leading Israeli companies, including Israel’s largest energy companies;

Structuring a three-way merger of three publicly-traded Israeli insurance companies;

Structuring a merger between Israel’s two largest food manufacturers;

Acting on behalf of Israel’s largest banks in mergers and acquisitions;

Representation of Israel’s largest bank, in its share offering by prospectus (“GDR”) to accredited foreign investors;

Representation of Israel’s largest companies in IPOs on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange;

Representation of high profile corporate leaders in defense of white collar crimes;

Litigation in class actions and derivative suits on behalf of leading industrial and commercial companies in the Israeli economy, such as banks, insurance companies and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange;

Acting on behalf of US and Israeli investors in the acquisition of a controlling interest in Israel’s largest bank;

Ongoing representation of Israel’s largest banks in their various corporate and tax issues;

Advising and litigating on behalf of Israel’s leading insurance companies on various corporate, tax and commercial matters;

Advising Israel’s largest business groups with regard to the recommendations of the Committee on Increasing Competitiveness in the Economy (the “Concentration Committee”);

Representation of the CEO of a leading international public company, traded both in the US and Israel, in an appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court regarding an alleged criminal tax violation, in which the decision of the district court was overturned;

Representation of Israel’s Ministry of Finance and three former finance ministers in the governmental investigation committee regarding the collapse of bank securities on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange;

Representation of a significant private shareholder in the sale of his interest in one of Israel’s largest insurance companies;

Serving as the liquidator of a large international insurance company, including devising a liquidation plan and negotiating an arrangement with international creditors;

Representation of Israel’s leading gas companies before the Committee to Examine the Fiscal Policy on Oil and Gas Resources in Israel (the “Sheshinski Committee”);

Representation of one of Israel’s leading commercial families in their personal and commercial affairs, including their purchase of significant interests in banking and insurance companies.

Representation of the Israeli Ambassador to a significant foreign country, formerly the president of one of Israel’s leading universities, in certain settlements with the authorities and his defense before the High Court of Justice in his appeal on the preclusion of his appointment as Israel’s ambassador.

Representation of a controlling shareholder in a public company suspected of committing several inside trading offenses, in which he was acquitted of all charges.

Languages

Hebrew and English.

Memberships

1973, Israel Bar Association; Member of the National Advisory Committee on Reform of the Israeli Court System that was established by the Minister of Justice and the Chief Justice of the Israeli Supreme Court; Chairman of the Israel Bar Association’s Taxation Committee (1985-1999); Member of the National Committee on Reform of Taxation, a committee appointed by the Minister of Finance, and that applied principles of international taxation on the Israeli taxation system (known as the “Rabinovitz Committee”) (2002)

Education

LL.B., Tel Aviv University (1972)

Lawyer Rankings

Gornitzky & Co. has a core focus on contentious matters before the Israel Tax Authority (ITA) and the Supreme Court, and on advising clients on the tax aspects of high-value M&A and investments. The team handles novel and high-stakes litigation for corporations and high-net-worth individuals, which often pose major ramifications for clients and the industries in which they operate. ‘Top-of-the-line professional‘ Daniel Paserman acted for Broadom Semiconductor in four separate proceedings relating to the ITA’s claim that the company’s business model restructuring involved the sale of functions assets and risks which should therefore be subject to capital gains tax, a position which, if accepted, could deal a major blow to the start-up and hi-tech industry in Israel. Shlomo Aviad Zider is very active in disputes before the ITA and various civil and criminal proceedings relating to tax law. Pinhas Rubin and Gil Grady are other key names. Ehud Katzenelson was promoted to the partnership in 2019.

Gornitzky & Co. has a strong track record of representing financial creditors and insolvent companies through court appointments in leading insolvency cases. Standout practitioner Pinhas Rubin represents debtors, lenders and other creditors throughout the course of complex insolvency cases and restructuring matters. Rubin is acting as special administrator for Eurocom Communications throughout the course of its insolvency proceedings, and, assisted by a large team, as counsel to Bank Hapoalim, one of the Eurocom’s main creditors, with the debtors’ outstanding payments estimated to be NIS1bn. Yaron Elwahi and litigator Ofer Tzur are also noted.

Gornitzky & Co. handles high-value commercial litigation in a number of industry sectors, though administrative litigation is a particular area of expertise. In addition, the practice group is a top choice for derivative claims, and with a focus on highly regulated sectors such as banking and financial services, the team regularly manages high-value and high-profile derivative claims for clients including Israel’s largest bank, a leading communications company, and a large holding company in the energy and chemicals sectors. Practice head Ofer Tzur is involved in several high-value tender disputes, while firm chairman Pinhas Rubin is responsible for much of the team’s derivative litigation. Other key figures in the team include Ofer Fleischer, Harel Shaham and managing partner Kfir Yadgar.

Gornitzky & Co.‘s class actions practice is particularly well known for complex banking and securities claims, and is one of only a couple of go-to firms for high-value class actions in the insurance sector. The team is instructed by all of Israel’s top five insurance companies, and also acts for the country’s largest bank, a number of institutional investors, and other large domestic corporates in the transport, real estate, utilities and consumer products sectors. Ofer Tzur and Pinhas Rubin jointly lead the litigation team, which also includes Noam Ronen and Maya Sabari. Also recommended is Harel Shaham, who is noted for his ‘work ethic‘ and his ‘convincing and well-written court files‘.

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